Devan Rohrich Podcast

13/11/2023

I decided to record an article I wrote a while ago on adventure and its vital role in reducing anxiety. You can find the article on my substack.

devanrohrich.substack.com

Anxiety affects us all. It is a rare man who does not feel its weight and pulse. However, the way we treat anxiety is, it seems, doing more harm than good. There seems to be a misunderstanding when we try to think about anxiety; a misunderstanding that has gone on too long. After this episode, it should be clear: you need adventure to conquer your anxiety. In our "Safety-First" age, adventure is shunned and people are left to sit idly by and garner that third party via video games.

Without adventure, we are left defenseless against it. So, it is crucial to step out of our comfort zone, pursue some good, and venture into the unknown for the sake of becoming as human as we can manage.

Let me know what you think!

24/10/2023

"...mature love is union under the condition of preserving one's integrity, one's individuality. Love is an active power in man; a power which breaks through walls which separate man from his fellow men, which unites him with others; love makes him overcome the sense of isolation and separateness, yet it permits him to be himself, to retain his integrity. In love the paradox occurs that two beings become one and yet remain two."

Erich Fromm~The Art of Loving

This beautiful statement is exactly what one would try to failingly explain when asked what a perfect marriage looks like.

https://devanrohrich.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web&r=24w2bx

05/10/2023

Something I Learned this Week:

Fifty percent of marriages end in divorce.

Well, that is first marriages.

Once you remarry, there is an even greater risk of divorce; climbing to over 75% if you end up in a third marriage.

Those are not great statistics when we consider marriage to be one of the greatest protective factors of proper childhood development, financial stability, and lifelong happiness.

So why are people getting divorced?

What is happening to people that they feel a need to break perhaps the most sacred vow of their life?

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Well, the fact is that marriage, among other things, is simply not seen as sacred by an increasing number of Americans anymore.

The PEW Research Center has run several prediction models that show America will be a majority secular nation with non-believers overcoming the Christian majority by as early as 2050.

Even for those who consider themselves Christian, the likelihood of feeling their religion is “very important” is in sharp decline — 41%, as opposed to a little over a decade ago when it was around 56% of Americans.

The understanding that marriage is essential to a complete life is not in the minds of many Americans and will likely not be unless something drastic changes.

As you might expect, in 2020, over half of Americans (54%) saw marriage as "important but not essential" in living a fulfilling life.

Shockingly, 30% saw it as not important at all.

Read the Rest: https://open.substack.com/pub/devanrohrich/p/reaching-for-marriage?r=24w2bx&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

05/10/2023

Zoom out for a second!

When things suck and we’re stuck in a rut, it seems like this is the worst it’s ever been.

NOTHING has ever been this bad before…

But when we take a few minutes, put away everything, and reflect quietly, we find that maybe things aren’t so bad.

Sure, we might have gotten our bell rung and gotten knocked down a few pegs, but not everything has been undone.

You have made so much progress since you first began, you just need to zoom out a little bit.

When you think of life in decades rather than days, it frees you up to see what you have done and what you have yet to accomplish.

You’ve got a lot more left in the tank.

Join my Weekly Newsletter (link in bio) where I talk of things like this to help you reach for more.

If you liked this, share it with someone else who needs some perspective!

Thanks for reading!

03/10/2023

"Without a sign, his sword the brave man draws, and asks no omen, but his country's cause."

The Iliad is perhaps the greatest epic poem ever written.

Words like these inspired the likes of Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Napoleon Bonaparte.

Great men read great books.

There is no exception.

What are you?

Get a list of the Greatest Books of the Western World when you follow my newsletter, Reaching More.

Sign Up for Free Here: https://devanrohrich.substack.com/s/reaching-more-weekly

01/10/2023

From my weekly newsletter, Reaching More:

I attended training on self-care, particularly on preventing burnout and reducing secondary traumatic stress as a therapist this week, and thought that there were some interesting takeaways. I did not agree that on everything that was discussed, but I will save a critique for another time. What I will share is the 5 things we discussed and how to reach for more by taking care of yourself.

Read the full newsletter here: https://devanrohrich.substack.com/

1) The most important thing you can do when starting to take care of yourself (or giving advice to others on how they could better care for themselves) is to allow the feelings to flow. Feelings are the fuel of our beliefs, so it is best to acknowledge how much fuel is going on the fire of our ideas. Repressing emotions means they will only surface somewhere else. Leftover emotions, like leftover food, smell bad in a few days.

2) Once we acknowledge how strong our feelings are, we can look at the things we are telling ourselves—what do we believe about the situation? As a therapist, there are many things I tell myself about terrible situations and if I am not careful, that could turn sour very quickly. Now, not everyone is a therapist (thankfully) but we all string together a narrative about situations, ideas, or people and give it some significance. The important things to examine in your narrative are 1) is it true and 2) is it helpful?

3) We have to give ourselves time to breathe. Getting ourselves moving when things are stressful is key—if we aren't moving, our body is not doing what it was meant to.

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4) There is no sense in ruminating on the past, yet that can hold us up if we are stressed about situations outside our control. Rumination is a type of cognitive distortion that decreases our well-being if stuck in a ruminative cycle for too long. I wish I remembered where I heard this quote, but it is a handy one at times when I find myself ruminating on something, "You will never find your future in the past."

5) Lastly, we should try to rid ourselves of excess emotion. Distress and hardship exaggerate every emotion within us, so it is important to not bring along extra luggage during times of high stress. Radical acceptance of the situations that are outside of your control can help with this and dips into stoicism, which is only continuing to grow in our culture.

Again, not perfect. Yet, I am glad to offer perhaps a brief, but better spin on the model that was presented. Self-care is part of a lifestyle of wellness, it is not one thing, but the whole of your work should be fulfilling and fruitful. If that isn't the case, then you are misaligned in some way with your work.

We all want to reach greater heights in our own respect. How do we do that? What stands in our way? Is there something we should all reach toward? Let's explore how we might reach upward, toward something greater than ourselves. Click to read Reaching More, by Devan Rohrich, a Substack publication.....

29/09/2023

Invest In Your Future Self: Building the Vision | Ep. 17

Above the entry to the Temple of Apollo in Delphi (I said The Academy in Athens during the episode) was the inscription "Γνῶθι σαυτόν" or in English, "Know Thyself".

This is by far one of the greatest undertakings we can manage because we are never the same person at any point.

We might feel that we have not changed in the span of a year or two, but that is simply not true.

The only thing that might not have changed in you is your curiosity about who you are and where you are going.

That is why developing a vision, building a map aligned with your personal significance, is something to both spark that curiosity again and start working toward your real goals right now.

In this episode, I discuss what steps we can take to build our map and grow into who we really want to be.

If you didn't see my last episode, then you should check it out to find out how to filter down your problems into manageable, actionable steps.

That is necessary if you are going to build the future you want on the scale required.

There are three basic ideas discussed:

1) Write down and elaborate exhaustively about this vision.
2) Find a community of people looking to grow with you.
3) Finally, you have to put in the work and stop putting it off.

These are basic principles and I hope I communicate them as effectively as I could, but if you follow these three things, there is no reason you should fail in your quest for a more flourishing future.

These are repeated all around the internet in various spaces because they are easy and foolproof. Follow them, and you will succeed.

This episode is not possible without your support—Thank you for following along on the journey!

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See you Next Time!
Devan

26/09/2023

“Disease at bottom brought about Creative urgence—for, creating,
I soon could feel the pain abating,
Creating, I could work it out.”
~Heinrich Heine

Freud thought that what helps us through pain, disease, and suffering was love. He thought that pain was also tied with the “psychogenesis” (origin of a psychological construct) of creation.

Funny how atheists always come back to core Christian concepts.

Anyway.

If you are suffering, or have revolving ailments, then start to create. It does not get rid of the pain, but it does something with it—not much is better than that.

21/09/2023

The Roman Empire is something that I have been awed by ever since I found out about it in a picture book when I was in elementary school. Flipping through the pages and seeing the composition of armies, the accessories, and of course the weapons, I was endlessly inspired. That spark never faded either, especially as I learned of the complexities the empire faced, the inspiration it gave to other great figures, and how long the tradition/spirit of the Roman Empire lasted.

You can find the rest of the newsletter here: https://devanrohrich.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web&r=24w2bx

Running alongside this inquiry, we should acknowledge that nihilism pervades our society like a bad rash—of course, some are afflicted more than others and there are varying degrees of nihilistic thinking but it's still a problem for almost everyone in modern society. It's this point primarily, that I imagine leads most men down this path.

Of course, we could say that it is the unconscious will to power, glory, gold, and adventure, and we would be right only halfway. True, but it is these things that bring about what we look for the most, above the silver and adventure— it brings significance.
Significance is epitomized in the tales of Rome, one of the largest and longest-lasting empires the world has known (yes, I include the Byzantine Empire).

Men today, women too but especially men, long for something greater than themselves, and they seldom recognize it.

Now, this is not a new phenomenon; however, with relatively easy lives and little to strive against and work toward, other than being a warm body at an 8-5 job, it is easy to say that our search for significance holds a different value.

To live significantly is to wind yourself along the strings of a mighty narrative and to serve as an essential part of this play.

This elevation of Rome in the minds of many men is not necessarily something new, but it's a sign of the meaninglessness that is central to modern existence and a clue to what we might need if we are to find this significance within us. There are many fallacies that I could appeal to, and I am aware of (obviously) the struggles Romans had with seeking their own significance, so I will simply say this:

If you're a man who regularly indulges the interest of Rome then I suggest you take a look at how you might live as magnanimous of a life as you think those Romans once did. Find for yourself something each day that can help you achieve something as great as your picture of them. Think of their struggle as your struggle and continue to live out the spirit of that greatness and know that the effort will lead to a rewarding life.

You have something inside of you that wants to be great, so get to work.

19/09/2023

The worst thing you can do is lie to yourself. Lying to others is bad, but telling yourself that the world is a different way than it really is becomes dangerous quickly.

This book was one of my favorite reads of all time. It has an incredible range of lessons, and has a high reread value. The story is personal, inspiring, and transformative. Of course, that meant it was a painful read, but great books should be painful to read.

If you didn’t know, I made a reading list that’s based off the Great Books of the Western World. I am going through each one slowly, but it’s been a great journey so far.

If you’d like to start your own adventure, then you can pick up the list by signing up for my weekly newsletter (totally free of course).
devanrohrich.substack.com

Thanks for reading!

12/09/2023

Reminder: you have to do something.

We forget that life 100 years ago was filled with much less leisure and more work.

Now, doing something may in fact be resting, which is not a contradiction.

When we rest intentionally after a hard days work, that makes it purposeful and useful to our wellbeing.

The reminder is to be intentional in all things and get things in order.

Join me on X(Twitter) —Link in bio

11/09/2023

This is a far more practical episode than the last one, so I hope the lesson in this is clear. We are really good at figuring out how to do things, it is part of the creation process we are all meant for, but sometimes we don't quite have the problem itself narrowed down.
Many microscopic things get missed and before long, you figure out that you've been working on the wrong problem this whole time.
Or worse, you've created more problems than when you started.

This episode covers 5 ways to make sure you have your problem narrowed down so that the path forward reveals itself nearly automatically. Here are the 5 things that you need to figure out before you can start solving problems.

1) Determine Urgency

2) Figure out who is Effected

3) Take stock of your Resources

4) Set a Time-frame

5) Create an Anti-Vision

Let's explore all of that together in this episode.

Find the Full Episode on my YouTube channel! (Link in bio)

Thanks for the support!

06/09/2023

From my newsletter Reaching More, sign up for free by going to devanrohrich.substack.com

Something I learned this week was that monk mode might be the best thing for you if reaching goals is difficult for you.

Staying silent about your goals might actually increase your chance of success. It seems contradictory to say that not telling someone about a goal would decrease the likelihood of you achieving it; after all, where is the accountability? While telling people your plan leads to having increased likelihood of accountability, research shows that doesn't matter as much as we think it does.

A popular research study found that telling people about your "identity-relevant behavior intentions" (a.k.a., goals) compromises the motivational and reward systems that are necessary to fulfill your intentions. When looking at the "why" of this phenomenon, it becomes apparent that our reward systems (dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins) reach satisfactory levels from the typically positive feedback we receive when we announce to others our goal of "x".

Does that mean you have to refrain from telling everyone about your goals or intentions? No! What it means is that you should keep things ambiguous, tentative, and inform only those who might serve as an accountability partner or that might be impacted by the time spent on your work. Essentially, keep things on the edge of discoverability; after all, it is often the chase of a goal that is most exciting. When you "spill the beans", let's say, you undermine your chances of success.

So, keep things to yourself unless it's absolutely necessary to inform someone of your intention. For lack of a better term and to infuse popular terminology, "Monk Mode" is actually helpful in achieving your goals and developing a future you desire.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks for reading!

05/09/2023

Have you read Crime and Punishment?

Is there a character that shows the inner mind of a psychotic person better than him?

Join me on X (Twitter) to discuss more ideas like this! (Link in bio)

29/08/2023

Wellness Fatigue:

With so many choices to make to better your health, workflow, mental wellbeing, relationship, it can be overwhelming and leave you more anxious than when you started your wellness journey.

That is not the point of wellness at all.

Your journey should be fulfilling and effortful, not exhausting and hopeless.

Here’s a few things to keep in mind so you don’t get lost in a wellness wasteland:

1) Remember why you started
2) Limit your options
3) Find a community
4) Be heroic

Keep these things in mind when the going gets tough. It’s not that tough is bad, but unnecessary struggle is an easy way to fall back into poor habits.

Follow my weekly newsletter, Reaching More, for more things like this (link in bio)

24/08/2023

Episode 15 in the books!

What do memes and GenZ have in common? What’s learning got to do with mental health? Conservative doesn’t mean lazy?

All things that are discussed in this week’s episode.

Check out the episode on YT (link in bio) and Share with a friend!

Thank you for your continued support, it really means the world to me as I figure out this whole podcast thing!

12/08/2023

New episode up!

The number of textbooks that I have read, cover to cover, is zero. That is likely true for many of you as well, whether you have a high school diploma or a Ph.D. We need to go beyond textbooks if we really want to learn something. I imagine that more people would care about learning if it wasn't so clinical and reductionistic.

Watch the episode (link in bio) and Follow for More!

11/08/2023

From my weekly newsletter, Reaching More.

I took a short leave from posting these for some reason, but I’m not sure why. Anyway, the weekly newsletter summaries are here again.

Happiness is something we all love, but should we really be pursuing it? Is it something we need, or does it come more often when we don’t pay attention to it at all? How does modern culture push this one way or another?

Let me know your thoughts!

Also, my full newsletter is available for free at devanrohrich.substack.com. When you sign up you also get my free reading list along with it. See you there!

Thanks for reading!

07/08/2023

If you’re young and just starting your education or a new career, you need to know that what you do now sets you up for far longer than you might think. If your not so young anymore, that’s okay—you will likely understand these truths far better than the younger crowd.

It’s tempting to think of all the time you’ve wasted, I know I fall in that pit from time to time. The best thing you can do, if you feel like you’ve been wasting time is to start today. Right now. (Seriously, do it and see what happens)

Let me know that you think⬇️

To learn more on effective habits, you can check out my latest episode on YouTube.

Follow for More!

03/08/2023

Apologies don’t fix gaps in knowledge or completed projects. People will apologize to displace the blame and negative feelings, or even gain sympathy. It doesn’t fix the problem, it just intentionally confuses the situation and people in it.

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01/08/2023

I have been taking cold showers nearly everyday for the last year and do not have any thoughts of looking back. I thought that I needed a “cold plunge tub” to get the effects but that’s not true at all. As little as 30 seconds can mean the difference between a mediocre day and a great one. Getting started is tough, but once you do, the results are fantastic.

Research shows that 11 minutes per week total of cold-exposure is all you need for best effects. It doesn’t matter if you turn the shower from hot to cold (this is what I do typically) or just take a totally cold shower, which I think is amazing.

Our sedentary lifestyle has made us vulnerable to change rather than resistant to it. We are moved rather than those who move. I’m not saying it’s a perfect solution to all your problems, but 11/10,080 minutes of your week is a good start. The biggest struggle will be finding your willpower to do the hard thing, especially something many of us take joy in (hot showers).

You can incrementally adjust to the cold, or dive right in…except it’s a shower so I don’t recommend that. It’s alright to take breaks, but notice your appreciation of the warmth and also what your body feels like without the cold. It’s a great tool to increase your bodily awareness and boost your ability to be mindful of how you treat your body.

Check out my Podcast (link in bio) and Follow for More!

27/07/2023

A snippet from “Independence is a Habit”. You can find it on my blog (link in bio). I published it a few days ago and have been reflected more on how we can continue to better our system. I am convinced education should begin with stories, documents, and books that were primary to the founding of the culture and political system. Fairy tales, cultural traditions, and principles of republican values are not being read to children like they once were.

To keep a republic, we must be worthy of it. To be worthy of it, we must educate ourselves to be able to understand and conserve the ideas central to our independence.

Let me know that you think of the article, feedback is always welcome!

24/07/2023

https://open.substack.com/pub/devanrohrich/p/independence-is-a-habit?r=24w2bx&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Without independence, our republic is lost. So, how do we maintain our freedoms?

17/07/2023

Willpower is lost in the conversation on habits. Let’s retake a vital piece of our humanity and explore what our will is and what is missing from modern productivity culture.

Atomic Habits Just Don't Cut It | Ep. 13 Devan Rohrich Podcast
https://youtu.be/VboGMj2jtyc

Let me know what you think!

12/07/2023

Every story of a great hero is marked by education. Peruses was given guidance by the gods Hermes and Athena in how he should destroy Medusa. Moses was spoken to directly by God and led his people out of Egypt. Alexander the Great was taught by Aristotle himself and conquered the known world.

Without some kind of education, we are lost on how to act. We might have great ideas but the will to carry them out only comes after we’ve educated ourselves enough to carry them out.

Lacking education is in some ways worse than lacking limbs in some cases.

Set yourself apart. Educate yourself to the best of you abilities.

That starts by forming habits of educating yourself for the sake of needing it at some unknown point in the future.

There’s no worse place to be than in the same spot 5 years from now. So, start today and see what happens. Maybe you’ll become a hero.

Check out my Podcast (link in bio) and Follow for More!